Dear Harvey:
"Few better golf weekends anywhere," says Tom Coyne when I shared our trip to Cornwall with him. He should know! After our fun-filled Saturday playing Trevose, we got in some hiking and explored Padstow on a rainy Sunday (See Oss Oss Wee Oss!.)
Here's the view over my full English (at Trevose restaurant) while low handicappers warmed up for a metal competition known as the Saunders Cup. I learned about the comp from 'Master of the Games' Buggy Joe, who won the event way back. Every club in England has a Buggy Joe, a member who keeps the boys organized for their regular Stableford competitions. (Shout out to Chet Patel at Sudbury GC and my buddy Jim Hopke back in ATX.) This year's Saunders Cup winner was Trevose member Liam Wilson, with a 36-hole net score of 145 in trying conditions. Liam, no doubt had a very full English breakfast as well!
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| With my long-lost brother Buggy Joe and my breakfast. The heart of the full breakfast is bacon, eggs, and sausages (also called bangers in the U.K.). The dish is usually accompanied by grilled tomato, mushrooms, fried onions, toast, and marmalade. |
During our time in the lodge, we learned there is a bit of a rivalry between Trevose and St. Enodoc regarding which course people enjoy the most. I'm not going to pick a side, as I now have friends at both clubs. They are pretty different, so I see why golfers enjoy comparing and discussing.
Trevose is a bit tamer, and you can generally see what is in front of you. I loved it. St. Enodoc Church Course gives you the feeling you had as a kid at Disneyland. Each hole is like a new adventure. There is a wild new park attraction at every turn. 'Undulating' is too wimpy of a word for the fairways at St. Enodoc. The swells feel like a giant ocean in complete turbulence during a significant storm. (And we played the course in tame conditions!) Here's Cathy buckling up on the first tee, ready to launch into an adventure land.
We received an impromptu welcome from Assistant Greens Keeper Neil Robinson upon arrival to the club. He is a lovely gentleman and enthusiastic about his golf course, as he should be. He was also preparing to take his young son on the Church course for the first time later in the day. It was clearly a right of passage that had to be earned. I later learned young Robinson played well when three generations of the family finished their round, as we sat atop the crow's nest that overlooks the 18th green and the sea in the distance. I took a family photo for Neil, who reciprocated with a kind note inviting me back for a 'knock,' plus a couple of excellent pictures he took early one recent morning. I enjoyed sharing these photos with friends Michael Mayerle of JMS Geomatics (the leading golf course mapping business) and Bobby Stringer, Course Superintendent at Austin CC.
And here are some pictures I took on the day, with a few captions. (Check out hole flyovers on the club website here.)
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| Notice the Captain and Vice-Captain parking. A future Nugget will address this club tradition in the UK. |
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| My special ball mark (compliments of jHop on 59th b-day) at St. Enodoc. Soon-to-be-friend Neil Robinson putting in the background. |
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| The opening par 5. Buckle up. |
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The famous 6th hole, with the "Himalaya" bunker, requires a layup and a blind shot into the green. (This is Neil's photo. Spectacular!)
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| Nice touch. Club was founded in 1890. |
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Cathy ringing the bell. (I lost a ball on that hillside.) All clear after the 6th.
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| The 10th - the church hole. (Rest in peace, Jim Herndon. A special neighbor in Austin whom Cathy and I said a little prayer for on this hole.) (Photo reference and history of this hole here.) |
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| These were well earned and mighty tasty. What a spot to watch golfers finish on 18 below. |
Closing with a poem I found on the wall that captures the uniqueness of St. Enodoc.
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Letters to Harvey from The Kingdom:
Other 'golfy' scribblings:
"And if you play golf, you are my friend." - Harvey Penick
